Samantha's life is good, mostly. She loves her father deeply, but even daddy's little girl finds the life of a military brat trying. Despite being the "new girl" too often, she soldiers on. Her mom could not. She lives for his life, but now wants one of her own. Helpless but to stand witness, Samantha's life is once again packed up and shipped off, this time without her dad.

She now resides in the remote town of Columbus Cove. Saving her from the debilitating isolation was the cove's latest resident, Channing Ashford. It's as if he has stepped off the cover of a romance novel and into the sleepy little town. He is charming and handsome and Samantha's sole focus. The reformed drifter reenergizes her and they find sanctuary within each other.

When a shocking murder claims more than one victim, the couple is blindsided. They find themselves embroiled in an investigation that threatens their newly found happiness. All their reserves of sanctuary are spent as the secrets that lay buried beneath the unpaved roads of Columbus Cove come to light.